National sprint double champion Michelle-Lee Ahye ran 10.92 seconds for sixth place in the finals of the Women’s 100 metres event at the Olympic Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, last night.
The race was won by Jamaican Elaine Thompson, 24, in a personal-best time of 10.71 seconds, ending fellow Jamaican Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce’s bid to win the event for a third straight Olympics.
American Tori Bowie running out of lane five took silver in 10.83 and Fraser-Pryce, 29, challenging from lane six finished third in 10.86 seconds.
Running out of lane eight, Ahye struggled out of the blocks and never caught the five front runners. The Carenage resident booked her place in the medal round after posting a season’s best 10.90 to cross the line in the same time as USA’s Bowie in the first semi-final.
Ahye said after, “I’m happy I gave it my best in this my second Olympics to go from semi-finals to finals tonight. I brought my A game and it will continue to keep me trying to do my best. Now it’s onto the 200 metres.”
Her compatriot Semoy Hacket failed to advance to the semi-finals after she placed fifth in the third and last semifinal heat in a time of 11.20 seconds.
Cedenio runs for medal today
Meanwhile, T&T’s Machel Cedenio clocked 44.39 seconds to win the second semi-final heat and advance to today’s final with third fastest time overall.
He will line up against defending champion Kirani James of Grenada (44.02), American Lashwan Merritt (44.21), another Grenadian Bralon Taplin (44.44), world champion Wayde Van Niekerk of South Africa (44.45), Botswana’s Karabo Sibanda (44.47), Matthew Hudson-Smith (44.48), and Bahraini Ali Khamis (44.49)
T&T’s other quarter-miler in the event, Lalonde Gordon, raced in the opening semi-final heat and he crossed in 45.13 seconds to place eighth and did not progress.
After his performance Cedenio was certain of one thing: “I ran my race and I won, and now I will have to ensure that I do everything necessary to run my best race on Sunday. As I mentioned to you yesterday, I know that I needed to return a time below 44 to medal and I feel I have that in me. I’m looking forward to just going out tomorrow night and putting everthing out.”
WOMEN’S 100 METRE FINALS
1. Elaine Thompson (Jam) 10.71
2. Torie Bowie (USA) 10.83
3. Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (Jam) 10.86.
4. Christina Williams (Jam) 10.86
5. Dafine Schippers (Ned) 10.90
6. Michelle Lee Ahye (T&T) 10.92
7. English Gardiner (USA) 10.94
8. Marie Josee Ta Lou (CIV) 11.80